FrozenInMonochrome: Sunset

So, it is finally spring in 2018 and we are back with the groovy track ‘Sunset’ from FrozenInMonochrome’s upcoming Colors EP. It has a poppish rhythm but grungy vocals and a wavy loopy bass line which work very well together. Dark with cheerful undertones.. Like a sunset :).

A bit of info about the band:
Formed in July of 2014 in Dallas, FrozenInMonochrome is a one-man coldwave project formed by Steven Grant (as FroznMonokrome), also involved with the experimental dreampop and goth-infused Sialuk project alongside Basavriuk (of Dead Souls and Lake Milk), an experimental project with Kelly Sinclair, an occasional song with Les Modules Etranges, Osiris Module, Thalie Nemesis, etc., and the odd remix here and there.

If you are interested in keeping up with them, you can follow them on your choice of social poison at:

https://frozeninmonochrome.bandcamp.com
http://frozeninmonochrome.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pg/FrozenInMonochrome

Said the Ghost : Inhale Day EP

‘Inhale Day’, the first part of a two part EP project called ‘Breathe Life’ by ‘Said the Ghost’ (the solo project of Brighton based Jamie Lees), just came out on Summer Solstice. The second part of this grand production will be out on Winter Solstice, and that should literally cover the long and short of it ;). As for Inhale Day, it is a celebration of new beginnings with its shoegazy meditative guitar riffs, soulful singing and a distinctive fusion-hymnlike vibe which submerges your mind and unleashes splashes positive energy in your limbic system. What is clearly impressive is Jamie’s musical and vocal prowess. For starters, his soothing yet versatile voice will be at home in musical styles as diverse as Indian and Irish. To top it off, the eclectic sound that draws some comparisons to Everything Everything and Dutch Uncles, Grizzly Bear, Field Music, White Denim, War on Drugs, St.Vincent, even Stevie Wonder at times, is something that Jamie and Nick Lewis (Mastering) should be very very proud of. We can’t recommend this enough and please purchase this EP from the band camp links below and encourage Jamie for an even more stupendous return with the second part ‘Exhale Night’ later this year. Get ready to get immersed:

Sillyboy: Stalker

During the glorious summer of 2012, when we started with this website, one of the first bands that we featured that made a profound impact on us was Sillyboy. Based out of Athens, Sillyboy’s dazzling incorporation of diverse musical styles under one umbrella in their first album ‘Nature of Things’ had us stoked for good reason. Every song was a masterpiece, which is rare for any album featuring more than 5 tracks and Nature of Things had double that number. They seem to have only gotten better while maintaining this knack of 100% song brilliance in their new album Stalker. The album deals with a controversial subject in a very interesting way, best described as easy going obsession and attempts to reveal an alternate point of view, subtly goading us to refrain from naively painting every action in black and white. In short, this album is a grey zone ‘Tour de force’, Bowie meets Depeche Mode, and I urge you to listen to it, spread the word, buy it (https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/sillyboy/id289180758) and make Sillyboy rich. Until that great purchasing decision that you absolutely will have to make, please enjoy the tracks here:

Starar

At times Roxette-ish at times bordering on Iver-y, the versatile soundscapes created by sibling duo Jenna and Steven Staraar paint many pictures across several genres and yet manage to maintaion a distinctive feel throughout the diversity. The music is a lot of ,incorporating elements of modern rock, glam pop as well as the ethereal minimalistic and classical aesthetics more commonly associated with post rock. A sampling of the Starar-Dust:

They live and work in the UK and you can follow their exploits on: http://www.starar.net/

Sam Page

California based ‘Sam Page’, whose album Breach we supported last year, continues to impress with with powerhouse releases in the last couple of months. The surreally catchy ‘Do Yo Want to Get Down’ is an unabashed joyride with many interesting twists and turns, especially the guitar work just after the two minute mark. No wonder it has moved into the 5-digit PlayZone on Spotify already. The more recent ‘Release Me’, though not as frolicky, is more meaty with some funky guitarwork, energetic rhythms and really good vocals. We hope you enjoy these as much as we seem to:

Doctaters: Immune

Doctaters aka Rhys Evans  is 22-year-old songwriter, composing Alternative Rock and Pop songs. He is based out of Cardiff, Wales and we were particularly impressed by his track Immune which features a strong Muse or sometimes Queens of the Stone Age kind of vibe. It is very catchy, has a powerful and absolutely delightfully distorted lead riff and solid vocals. Pretty impressive for someone so young and who will only get better with time. If you are located in the South Wales area, check up your local listings as Rhys is currently playing Open Mic Nights around there. For now enjoy his track:

Decoded

Derek Jordan is probably the luckiest man in a music band at the moment. He is the lone male in a 5 member band called Decoded. The lovely quintet of Heather Miller (Drums), Tevis Aubrey (Bass/backing Vocals), Angela Grant (Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Amanda Gummel (Keyboard/Backing Vocals) complete the round up and thereby provide Derek the inspiration, motivation and most importantly, a solid musical platform for singing with utmost passion. The sound which is remniscent of the 90’s and early 2000’s alt rock, is interspersed with lyrics which question, throw light on and lightly mock various aspects of the popular celeb culture of our times. Think Barenaked Ladies meets Roxette or better still, don’t think anything at all and enjoy the tracks below:

Sam Page: Breach

After a while we are back on the blogosphere with some timely Californian pop-rock, which to put it mildly is catchy as hell! Sam Page and I are on the ‘same page’ :), about the not taking yourself too seriously bit and that carefree quality adds something extra to the music. It is hard to put in words but it is like the awesome experience of eating a dish prepared by someone who just loves cooking and does not get lost in the precise quantity of ingredients to mix. With powerful guitar riffs, surreal melodies, and great vocals, it is hard to keep your head still. The fact that is so catchy, might make you sometimes dismiss the music as superficial, but repeated listening would drive it into your head that like a great Tiramisu, this one gets better with every layer.A delectable piece from Sam Page’s recently released album ‘Breach’ right here:


The whole album can be sampled and purchased for a tiny sum at http://sampagemusic.com/fr_album.cfm . This website will also give you access to all his older work and social netword links to follow his on.

4 Cities: Games

A peppy riff, action sport friendly vibe, perfect blend of electronica and guitar: 4 Cities are back with their smashing new single ‘Games’. All I can say is ‘It was worth the wait’. A nice funky 70’s vibe with the aid of modern technology and a a touch of the 90’s in the vocals. Have fun and dance and own your world:

 

 

The Rideouts: Smooth Lover

Just surfing through soundcloud, I came across this conventional ‘pop-rock’ band from Italy called The Rideouts. I particularly liked some of their stuff, as it brings back memories from the decade I grew up in, aka the 90’s. The sound is very Deff Leppard, Roxette, #yougetthegeneralideadon’tyou and it is nice to charter known territory for a change. One of the songs that I particularly liked is called ‘Smooth Lover’. Prego:

If you like what you hear and are in the mood for some nostalgia, listen to the rest of their stuff here. Graci y A presto!